Cheltenham yesterday unveiled a record entry for the handicaps at next month's National Hunt Festival. No fewer than 546 horses have been put in the seven races, surpassing last year's total of 504 which was itself the previous best.
Restricting the Kim Muir Fulke Walwyn Handicap Chase to those rated up to 140 seems to have paid off as the 25-furlong event has attracted a record 85 entries.
The Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle could be contested by each of its last four winners, as Home Counties, Star Rage, Barna Boy and Blowing Wind have all been put in the last race at the meeting.
Champion trainer Martin Pipe has made 92 entries in the handicaps, taking his total engagements at the 16 Festival races to have closed to date to 176.
His Gris d'Estruval, second in a novice chase at Ascot last Saturday, is in no fewer than 11 events at the meeting, ranging from the Smurfit Champion Hurdle to the William Hill National Hunt Handicap Chase.
Celebrity owners with entries include Sean Connery (Risk of Thunder in the Kim Muir Fulke Walwyn Handicap Chase), Des O'Connor (Quality, Coral Cup) and Charles Haughey (Flashing Steel, Kim Muir Fulke Walwyn Handicap Chase).
Other notable engagements include The Queen Mother's Easter Ross and Gatflax - the most expensive jumper ever sold at public auction in Britain - and last year's winner Top Cees in the Coral Cup, Weights for the seven handicaps will be published tomorrow week.
